HYDERABAD, Apr 9:

Chief Justice of India T SThakur today pushed for earlyappointment of judges to theHigh Courts, saying vacanciesare likely to mount to 500 thisyear, with the system alreadyunder great pressure.

He said the government hasexpressed its willingness toresume the appointment processas per the "earlier procedure" (col-legium system) and the issue ofappointment of as many as 130judges is before the Law Ministry.

The CJI was speaking afterinaugurating the 14th All India

Meet of State Legal ServicesAuthorities here.

"The process of appoint-ments got delayed for a while asthe Constitutional amendment(related to National JudicialAppointments Commission orNJAC) came under challenge.

"After the matter wasresolved, the Law Minister (D VSadananda Gowda), realising thatthe process of amendment of thememorandum of procedure maytake time, wrote a letter to me thatthe government is willing for theprocess to be resumed on the basisof earlier procedure," he said.

"We immediately agreed and

within a period of six weeks wecleared nearly 163 names thatwere stuck for more than a yearwith us because of the controver-sy regarding National JudicialCommission," Thakur said.(PTI)

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2016 (PAGE 16) DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU

CJI for early appointment of Judges to High Courts